Clare Balding at centre of ‘awkward’ BBC Olympics blunder after broadcast mistake

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Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

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Clare Balding found herself at the centre of an “awkward” BBC blunder while presenting the Olympics coverage.

Days after finding herself embroiled in a classism debate, the sports broadcaster was introducing viewers to the 200m breaststroke final when the BBC prematurely revealed the winner of the race as she was talking.

Balding was speaking to the camera when the US national anthem could be heard playing over the speakers, and she told viewers: “The US national anthem is going out behind us for a race we're going to show you now – the 200m breaststroke final.”

She then added: “So don't listen to that ‘cause otherwise it'll give away the...” – at which point, the cameras revealed that Kate Douglas had won the gold medal.

Balding defeatedly then announced: “OK, Kate Douglas winning the 200m breaststroke!”

TV critic Scott Bryan branded the moment “awkward” on social media, writing: “BBC accidentally showing us who won a swimming race before showing us the swimming race is very BBC Olympics.”

One viewer called it :unfortunate timing”, while another jokingly compared it to Christopher Nolan’s timebending film Tenet, posting: “It’s like the film Tenet: between BBC One and the Red Button, we’re seeing things out of order before they happen depending on which way round we see it.”

Meanwhile, one person threw their support on Balding, calling it “a slightly funny & endearing broadcasting mistake that’s actually handled quite well in the moment”.

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Earlier this week, unimpressed BBC viewers suggested Balding appeared “incredulous” that no Olympians had visited the school of gold medallist Rebecca Adlington growing up.

This led some to call out the comment for revealing Balding’s “class privilege”.

The commenta rrived after Mark Foster, a former Olympian swimmer and flag-bearer at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, reflected on his inspiration as he shared that Duncan Goodhew had visited his swimming club when he was ten years old, moving him to try to follow in his footsteps.

“It was that little moment that inspired me,” explained Foster, as he asked Adlington if she’d had the same experience.

“To be fair I didn’t have somebody like that,” the gold medallist responded.

“No one came to your school?” said Balding, appearing surprised and sympathetic, as Adlington responded, “No, no.”